Meet Tekspert Lorne. A technical specialist with Senior Planet-OATS, Lorne is the resident “tekspert” among his friends. Look out for his bi-weekly Tech Tips.

Have a picture, video or other document on your computer that you want to share with friends? Sharing it via email is often the simplest way. I’ll show you how to do that when you’re on a computer (it works the same way when you’re using your email web application—Gmail, Yahoo, etc. on a smartphone or tablet.)

There are two ways to send photos:

1. Attach the file to the email. This is the best way if the recipient will want to download the photo to their computer.
2. Put the photo in the body of the email. This is the best way if you just want the recipient to see the picture without having to download it.

What Kind of Files Can I Attach to an Email?

You can attach almost any kind of file, including pictures, documents and videos. Keep in mind that most mail services will have limits on the size of a file that you can upload, so you may only be able to upload short videos.

1. How to Attach a File to an Email 

The key to it all is the paperclip button!

No matter which email service you use, or whether you are using your web browser or a mobile app, always look for the paperclip icon when looking to add an attachment. This is the universal icon for attaching a file.

1. Find the paperclip icon (see below to locate it in your application).
2. Click on the paperclip.
3. A browser window will appear that will let you search the contents of your computer for your the file.
4. Find the folder where you’ve stored your file. (Tip: Name your files so you can always find them.)
5. Select your file and click on Open or Choose in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Let’s look at how the paperclip appears in the most popular mail applications:

Attach a File in Gmail

Find the paperclip icon at the bottom of your email.

Attach a File in Yahoo

Look for the classic paperclip icon at the bottom of your screen.

Attach a File in AOL

The paperclip icon in AOL will be toward the top of your screen.

Attach a File in Outlook

The paperclip in Outlook is toward the top of your email body.

Using a different mail application? Just keep an eye out for the handy paperclip icon, which will likely appear somewhere above or below the body of your email.

How can you check that you uploaded a file correctly? In all mail apps, you’ll see successfully attached files listed either near the top or bottom of your email, like this:

2. How to Make a Picture Appear in the Body of Your Email

For images and short videos, some mail applications also let you simply drop files directly into the body of your email. All you need to do is click and hold on your file (that’s easiest if you have it on your desktop). Then drop it into your message.

Here’s how it looks in Gmail:

Like Gmail, Yahoo also allows you to drop files directly into the body of your email:

Once dragged in, the image will appear in the body of your email, just like text:

Have fun!